1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to devices for applying a lubricant to an outer surface of insulated electrical wire or the like while pulling the same through a conduit, and, more particularly, is concerned with an automatic wire lubricating device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to make it easier to pull insulated electrical wire through a conduit, it is an accepted practice to first lubricate the wire with a suitable lubricant, such as soap. A common way to accomplish this task is to do so by hand. Currently electricians place liquid soap in their hands and wipe it onto the wire.
The problem with this practice is that it can be a messy procedure and difficult job to do. When applying liquid soap by hand there is a tendency to spill the soap in a large area around where the wire is being fed into the conduit. Also, the liquid soap makes the hands slick which, in turn, makes it difficult to pull the wire off the reels and feed them into the conduit. As a result, it frequently requires one person to apply the soap to the wire and another person who does not handle the soap to pull the lubricated wire through the conduit. Thus, this accepted practice requires additional manpower to do the job correctly.
Over the years various devices have been proposed for use in lubricating wire. Representative examples of these devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,565,213 to Heller, U.S. Pat. No. 3,783,972 to Molstad, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,046,225 and 4,063,617 to Shenk, U.S. Pat. No. 4,069,894 to Black, U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,605 to Conti, U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,529 to Johansen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,059 to Jonnes et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,493 to Buckelew and U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,356 to Sells. While the prior art devices of the Molstad and Conti patents appear to constitute a step in the right direction for providing a wire lubricating device, neither seems to provide an optimum solution for the problem at hand.
Consequently, a need still exists for a wire lubricating device which provides a solution to the aforementioned problem in the prior art without introducing any new problems in place thereof.